Expanding Sino-US ties will help both nations

Chinese people began to pay attention to the US presidential election in the late 1970s when the country first adopted its reform and opening-up policy. In 1980, for the first time the Chinese people realized that the presidential race between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican opponent Ronald Reagan on the other side of the Pacific was so closely related to affairs of their own country. The result of the election had an important impact on China in its future development.

Since then, the Chinese people have been keeping a close watch on who occupies the White House although they do not have a role in the political games.

In this year's presidential contest, the US foreign policy toward China was not a contentious issue between candidates Barack Obama and John McCain although it had remained an outstanding one. However, the two presidential competitors had much in common on this issue, both saying they attached great importance to the role China played on major international and regional issues and they intended to pursue cooperation with China.